Before having a baby, I had no idea how much I would enjoy dressing Miss Ainsley! I swore I wouldn’t be one of those moms who was obsessed with cute girly clothes but I’m totally eating my words. There are just so many adorable options. Our favorites stores for kids clothes are Gap Kids, Old Navy, Crazy 8 and the second hand store when we can score a few good deals on our favorite brand-name clothes. There is also a … Read More
Tips for Work-At-Home Success
In August (when Joe and I moved from Minneapolis to Iowa) I decided to make a big career change and transition from working in the corporate world to working at home in a couple different capacities. The biggest question I get these days is “What do you do?” and it’s always a tough question to answer because I’m doing quite a few different things! Working multiple creative jobs is a little nutty at times, but it’s also been the biggest … Read More
Mom Bods + Bikinis
This summer I’m taking my mom bod to the pool in a bikini. Let me back up and say that because of my very long torso I’ve always been a big fan of the two-piece swimsuit out of necessity. But I sort of assumed that after having a baby you were bound to a life of one-piece swimsuits forever and ever, either out of a duty to modesty or a desire to hide things that had stretched and expanded or … Read More
Friday Favorites
Madewell Jeans // Belong Magazine // Nine West Booties (similar) Happy, happy Friday! We’re laying low this weekend with no real plans on the books, and I couldn’t be more excited. We have a handful of small house projects to work on, but other than that we’re laying low and taking it easy. Here are a few of my favorite finds from around the web this week! Have you seen a dress this perfect before? I die. A really amazing low-income housing … Read More
say what you mean to say
This week (and maybe last week, too) was a very average week. You know those weeks, right? The ones where you intend to do all the things and instead find yourself with a half-accomplished to-do list and a brain that feels all sorts of scattered? Yeah, I’m totally there. The kind of week where you have a little knot in your stomach for a reason you can’t identify. When you’re doing all the “right” things and yet everything seems to … Read More
Baby Breakfast :: Oatmeal Edition
Ainsley has been stuck with just two little teeth for close to five months now. Today I just saw a tooth starting to poke out on top (!!) but feeding a hungry baby who is very interested in food but only has two teeth is a challenge! She chokes on food all the time if I don’t mash it up enough or make the bites small, and I alway feel so bad. The teeth situation has forced me to get … Read More
Favorite Old Navy Finds
This weekend Joe and I took a trip to our nearest city, about an hour away, because I was in serious need of being around large groups of people, eating Chick-Fil-A and drinking a cup of Starbucks while browsing stores and picking up a few things for Ainsley’s first birthday! (Cue all the tears…) I ended up going to Old Navy because it’s my go-to for cute, cheap basics and trendier items I’m not sure I really want to spend … Read More
An Ainsley Update
I realized I talk about motherhood in a general sense quite frequently, but I rarely talk about Ainsley specifically. As she grows and becomes her own little person, I’ve been thinking a lot about her privacy and how much or little to share online. There is a delicate balance to strike, that’s for certain, but I am so thankful for each and every one of you who prayed for her and want you to share in the JOY that she … Read More
A Wine + Chocolate Girls NIght
*This post was sponsored by Ghirardelli. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make E&C possible. January is a long month in the Midwest. I mean, after New Year’s there is a long stretch filled with cold days without much to celebrate. So what’s a girl to do? My answer was to get the girls together for a wine and chocolate party. It was the perfect way to break up the weekday routine and host friends in … Read More
The Number Doesn’t Matter
A few weeks ago, I made a rookie mistake. You see, I found the perfect pair of jeans a few months ago. They fit great, looked good and were so dang comfortable. Then, a couple weeks ago, they started to feel a little bit loose. So what’s a girl to do? I bought the size smaller. Despite making huge strides in my journey to body self-acceptance, I let myself slip into thinking that the number on a pair of jeans … Read More
Mommy Martyr
Yesterday was not a particularly shining day for me. I woke up feeling flat-out sorry for myself for a handful of reasons that now seem too petty and foolish to list. Most of the time Mondays as work days for me, but I had rescheduled our childcare for the week so we could take Ainsley to a doctor’s appointment in a city about an hour and a half away. My mom was planning on coming along so we could make … Read More
The Food I Eat :: Postpartum Edition
My body has gone through a lot of changes in the past year. I’ve grown a baby, gained 30 pounds, had a baby, lost 35 pounds and now spend a good portion of each day chasing after a little one who is always on the go and on the verge of walking. Personally, I think what I eat is a fairly dull topic, since I tend to be a bit of a robot in terms of my daily food choices, … Read More